Reintroduction of Third Level fees.

[manonmir]

As is widely reported today the days of "free" third level education are numbered. The word "free" is a nonsense though with the skyrocketing Student Capation Fee over the last few years.

Surely this is a step too far for the Greens. Seeing how active they were the last time Noel Dempsey looked at this a few years ago and now seeing them as a partner in government that is to reintroduce them. I remember during my time in IADT Dun Laoghaire, Ciaran Cuffe was in particular extremely vocal and active on this and was the only politician in the area to bother responding to students protest e-mails. It's the sole reason I've voted for him in the last elections, the rest of them only come knocking or seem to care at election time. For me if the greens stay in bed with FF over this one it's a step (of many steps) too far, are they going to stand up and be counted for anything!



Greens Education Policy on Third Level Fees.

The Green Party will:

* maintain free fees which are an important part of making the right to third level education accessible to all;

[ActuallyYourWrong]

It's about time fees were re-introduced.

Why should my taxes pay for some hippy student type to study ORT and Media.

[manonmir]

It's about time fees were re-introduced.

Why should my taxes pay for some hippy student type to study ORT and Media.

What you think is nothing to do with my point. I was posting specifically about the Green Party and their Policy on Education prior to the last election. Personally I'm in favour of free fees and having had them myself I've been earning a lot more now working than I would have had I not gone to the college of "ORT and Media" and am paying a lot more tax into the country as a consequence, but again that's not much to do with the greens policy prior to the last election. I haven't posted on this site before but judging by your username I'm pretty sure you post irrelevant off topic posts like that quite a bit, good luck with that!

[Spence]

No doubt we will hear some stirring rhetoric from the Green's TDs about how 'painful' their decision to support this is and how they are better able to fight such measures in future in the Government than outside.

To be honest, I'm not surprised by the u-turns taken by the Greens. As someone who would fall within the demographic the Greens reach out to for support, I realised long ago that should they ever get into Government, most or all of their positions would be changed, as long as they got a few crumbs on the environment to satisfy their core 'tree hugging' element. Fianna Fáil it seems knew this as well.

[20000miles]

The word "free" is also nonsense becuase education is not free. Someone always has to pay for it.

[NM_123]

This most be the 53rd thread on this fees topic in use?

Anyway, it isn't free, students pay €1200-€1500 fees already. Most of which the institutions themselves do not see.

[Gruffalo]

The greens are in for a pasting themselves come the next election. Hopefully by that time FF will have destroyed 3 pointless parties - PD's, Greens and themselves.

[RocheFG09]

If the greens roll over on this it just shows how obsessed they are with stayin gin government.At thier conference they voted against them so they cant really justify supporting them. I will never vote for the greens if they do roll over either!

[Big Bobo]

I have to say the performance of the student leaders in fighting fees has been absolutely absymal. It wouldn't suprise me if most were pro-fees. I know for a fact the student president in UL is a FFer who is in favour of fees.

[Proposition Joe]

I have to say the performance of the student leaders in fighting fees has been absolutely absymal. It wouldn't suprise me if most were pro-fees. I know for a fact the student president in UL is a FFer who is in favour of fees.

Obviously you didn't hear the USI president (Shane Kelly?) on Morning Ireland earlier on today. Wiped the floor with the presenter, he did.

"We already have a graduate tax, its called the higher rate of PAYE"

... or words to that effect.